Microsoft to Co-opts Family Guy for Win7

In a marketing move that rivals the practical insanity of the $100 million dollar push of its search engine, Bing, Microsoft is to see a show starring Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane push Windows 7.

The whole idea might seem a little strange, coming as it does on the 8th of Novermber, putting it well after the October 22nd launch of Microsoft’s upcoming OS. The show, titled simply, “Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show” is to be a combination of live action performances and animated shorts.

Things only get stranger from there, with TomsHardware quoting Microsoft’s general manager of “consumer engagement and advertising”, Gayle Troberan, as having said, “Think about the metaphors and examples we might use, talking about how simple things are. We’ll be evoking the cast of ‘Family Guy’ in some interesting ways that integrate the product messages.”

Of course, there’s no way to know before it airs, but the general vibe we’re picking up from this announcement is that it’ll give us the same feeling as the suggestion in The Simpsons of an education system sponsored by Pepsi… discomfort.

The question we’re left with is whether or not this will manage to appeal to the audience Microsoft is targeting (Family Guy’s audience being perhaps a little cynical for this kind of advertising). If the whole business manages to be solidly entertaining, it could indeed do a lot to sell an OS that will, at that stage, already be available for people to go out and pick up immediately. If not, it could well end up just damaging the reputations of all involved…